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Ponda: Former Shiroda BJP MLA Mahadev Naik on Sunday vowed to defeat former Congress MLA Subash Shirodkar at the forthcoming assembly by-election to the Shiroda constituency.

Addressing the press on Sunday evening, Naik burst out in anger alleging that the BJP leadership, especially State unit President Vinay Tendulkar, is conspiring to finish him off politically.

An angry Naik alleged that by inducting Shirodkar into the party fold, the BJP leadership betrayed him and his supporters.

The former industries minister expressed strong resentment that he and his supporters were not consulted by the State BJP leadership before inducting Shirodkar into the party fold. And for this reason alone, Naik vowed that he would work for the defeat of Shirodkar.

Ridiculing Shirodkar for claiming that he joined the BJP for developing Shiroda since it lacked development for the past ten year, Naik said: “Such a claim is an insult to party workers who toiled hard for the development of the constituency.”

Urging Shirodkar to read the two booklets released by him listing out the development works carried out by him (Naik) in the constituency, Naik asked the former Congress MLA to apologise for misleading the people on that front. “In fact, Shirodkar failed to develop Shiroda despite being the MLA and minister for four terms,” he alleged.

Commenting further on the BJP leadership, Naik regretted that the party is in the habit of using and discarding the Bahujan leaders.

“A conspiracy has been hatched against the Bahujans leaders: the party worked for my defeat in 2017 election; and Tendulkar worked for the defeat of Ganesh Gaonkar in Savordem constituency. Tendulkar is also responsible for the defeat of former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Dayanand Mandrekar, Rajendra Arlekar and Anant Shet in 2017 elections,” he alleged.

Naik said that Tendulkar should have resigned as the party president taking the responsibility for the election defeats of so many leaders.

“Because of Tendulkar, the BJP suffered a massive defeat in 2017 election: the party had 26 seats in the Assembly in 2012, but was reduced to 14 in 2017 election,” Naik pointed out.

He also alleged that BJP leaders played an important role purchasing Shirodkar’s land. “Instead of purchasing the land at Rs 100 per square meter, it was purchased at Rs 3500 per square metres,” he said.

Naik regretted that in an attempt to finish off the Congress Party, the BJP is inducting former Congress men into its fold, and by doing so, it is becoming indistinguishable from the Congress.

When asked by Herald whether he would contest the by-election to Shiroda as an Independent or on the ticket of any other political party, Naik said that such a decision would be taken in consultation with his supporters.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Naik met with his supporters and party workers and later in evening held a public meeting. [H]